Dawkins' return is icing on bone-crushing cake for Eagles

By BOB GROTZ

Saturday, September 29, 2012

PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles add the icing to an epic Brian Dawkins career when they retire his No. 20 tonight.

Dawkins insists he would have been at peace without the ceremony, having bonded with Eagles fans through 13 seasons of bone-jarring hits and passion. Admittedly this makes all of the work that much sweeter.

"If my number was not retired would they love me any less?" Dawkins said. "No. Uh uh. You're already eating the cake. It's good. You put the icing on it and it's awesome. But it's still good regardless."

Dawkins wasn't being totally honest when he said he didn't know how he would react walking onto the field to salute the fans at halftime. Anyone who knows Dawkins knows what to expect.

"He's going to cry," Hollis Thomas, a former Eagles teammate said. "I can see him crying. Ain't nothing wrong with crying."

It should be entertaining to watch video of Dawkins' big hits. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said it was Dawkins who hit him the hardest. Then an Atlanta Falcons weapon, Vick was just feet from the end zone before a violent collision that sent both players careening in their NFC divisional playoff game during the 2002 season.

Among other shots, Dawkins put a devastating hit on New York Giants receiver Ike Hilliard that cost him $50,000 in fines. Hilliard was never the same.

"Lane had a clear lane to the end zone," Thomas said, "and I was running after him. And all of the sudden you see this 20 go by and hit him lock, lift and drive. Textbook."

When fans watch the footage they'll be reminded of the way football players were, and the battles they face now simply to be physical in the name of player safety.

Dawkins speaks of it frequently on his part-time job analyzing football for ESPN.

"I wanted to make you think twice about coming across that middle," Dawkins said. "That's what I'm trying to do. And as I'm doing that if your head moves an inch to the right or to the left than it's helmet-to-helmet. Asking guys to do that running full speed, it's tough.

"I see people going after people's knees because that's the only safe area you can hit now. The strike zone is completely different. As far as receivers are concerned the only thing you can do is cut their knees out. If you take a chance up here you're going to get fined or suspended or cost your team 15 yards."

These days Dawkins is content talking about the NFL game and helping coach his son Brian's team in South Jersey. Dawkins' son, by the way, wants to run or catch the ball rather than tackling it.

"I told him we're different," Dawkins said with a smile.

Among current Eagles players Dawkins inspired is safety Kurt Coleman.

"It's a special moment especially for him and his family," Coleman said. "He's a guy I used to watch growing up. I would kind of take some bits and pieces. And the passion he played with is amazing. That's some of the things I like to bring to my game style and play. He's one of the best to ever do it. I'm happy to just be a fellow Eagle and say he paved the way for all of us."

Defensive end Trent Cole, who can get pretty animated, appreciated Dawkins' fire and crazy side.

"All I remember are the leadership and the intensity that Dawk brought to this team," Cole said. "He brought that energy like, it's time to go. He let everybody know it's time to go."

Down the road, Dawkins could be looking at induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While safeties rarely make it now, Dawkins could be the exception.

"He changed the safety position," Thomas said. "Before him you didn't see safeties coming down and covering receivers or in blitz packages and stuff. He's like one of the first safeties to do that."

Hall of Fame or not, Dawkins knows how he wants to remembered.

"If I had a motto, if you will, it would be humble but hungry," Dawkins said. "That's how I lived, that's how I walked, that's how I played. That's how I attacked football. I wanted more. I wanted to be the best that I could."